Back on Odus, the High Keepers of Odus was growing. Membership had increased exponentially as more and more hearkened to the voice of Gallius and the High Council as they preached the equality of Erudite superiority. After some time had passed, Syscrusher retired and Jensara the Wise died a peaceful death at the age of six-hundred seventy-eight. Gallius had lived over four-hundred years at this time. With the loss of Jensara and Syscrusher, and the fact that Pallidmortis� return was long overdue, it was time to reorganise the structure of the guild�s leadership. The High Council was dissolved and Gallius stepped down from the position of Arbitrator. A new leadership body called the Senate was established, and elected a symbolic leader called the First Consul. The Senate included all the remaining High Councillors, along with two newcomers: Eliyena Elminsteress, a wizard and the first woman to have a position of leadership in the High Keepers of Odus, and a young paladin from Erudin named Doctrina Fidus. Gallius became a Senator and Ishtarrak was elected First Consul.
It was decided that the return of Pallidmortis could no longer be awaited, and the High Soldiers of Odus, like its mother guild, was established in Kelethin. Open to all races and classes except Erudites, a Wood Elf ranger named Ienien Swiftpaw was granted a representative seat on the Senate (with a great deal of hesitation) and was bestowed the rank of General. Unfortunately, it was not long before General Swiftpaw�s unfortunate handicap of not being an Erudite became too obvious, and the High Soldiers of Odus stood disorganised and ready to fall apart.
After six months of killing his fellow inmates after learning all he could from them, Pallidmortis was ready to escape. At the first light of dawn under the mists of the woods, Pallidmortis escaped by killing his guard captor. Pallidmortis made his way back to Paineel to regain his strength. With nothing more than cloth armor, he was rejected by the Fell Blades. They saw the potential danger in Pallidmortis, and denied him access to Paineel. Someone would have to pay for this transgression... the poor Kobolds never saw what hit them, oftentimes dying before even seeing their assailant. After Pallidmortis had used their corpses for food and armor, he decided to best their king. The king fought well for a kobold, but even with the assistance of his personal shaman, he could not survive. When the High Shaman saw his king would die, he fled the throne room. He didn't get far.
When news of Pallidmortis� return reached the Senate, now under First Consul Doctrina Fidus, he was immediately given the rank of General and Ienien Swiftpaw was demoted to Commander. Unfortunately, this created a division in the High Soldiers between those who accepted the change and those who remained loyal to Swiftpaw.
The Legionnaire stood tall and thought
Of what would be at hand
When the men he knew were gazing gazed
Upon him from the land.
The Legionnaire, he waited;
His men were at his side.
They stood and fought together,
Together fought and died.
The Soldier and the Legionnaire
Were much like one another.
The first, a man of noble blood,
The second one, his brother.
Though blood be thick and water thin
It was not so that day.
A man has never drowned in blood
But floods a man can slay.